


Ghosting

by missperseph



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M, Ghost Ciel, Ghost Sebastian, High School AU, M/M, Mild Gore, Polyamory, Snake goes by Oscar in this, Teratophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2019-07-17 17:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16100588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missperseph/pseuds/missperseph
Summary: From the beginning of the unwanted relocation, odd entities proved themselves present in the superannuated home. Wood blocks found their own way to the beaten bin when Finnian refused to; the dishwasher would run itself at unsightly house, presenting itself for the fatigued mother who had forgotten to do so herself earlier; when the elder blond neglected to fold laundry, the items tidied their self nicely in the woven basket. The nights were the worst though...





	1. Tired

The new house sucked. And there was absolutely nothing that could make it better. It smelt of musty leather, giving the overall sense that it was the elderly that occupied the home and despite its truth, Bard still couldn’t muster up any positivity about his situation. He knew why he was there, after all he had been told a million time before, his mother was looking for a new job, but the teenager’s cynical mind knew the truth. The recently widowed mother couldn’t afford their old house in Florida forcing them to backstep to their grandparents’ home in the West. His younger brother knew nothing of what had happened within the last year, from his own father dying to the sudden move with Pop-Pop and Nana, and Bard could only hope that Finny stayed in his innocent shell, free from the pain that hung itself among the masses.  
From the beginning of the unwanted relocation, odd entities proved themselves present in the superannuated home. Wood blocks found their own way to the beaten bin when Finnian refused to; the dishwasher would run itself at unsightly house, presenting itself for the fatigued mother who had forgotten to do so herself earlier; when the elder blond neglected to fold laundry, the items tidied their self nicely in the woven basket. The nights were the worst though. The boy swore he could hear howling downstairs in the emptied living room, voices begging an unknown being to sta- stop, plee- please as they never seemed to find peace with the cool autumn air. When inquired of these noises his grandparents ruled them off the be the coyotes hunting in the woods behind their old mansion.  
\---------  
“Come on, I swear it’ll be funny.” The being turned to its friend, hoping they had the same thought in mind.  
“No! I thought we agreed to not being mean to the old people?” Upset at the other for going back on their promise made nearly three decades ago, peachy lips pouted.  
“Yeah but they aren’t old people so… can I please scare them? Just a little?” They continued pleading, hoping that the other would grow so annoyed as to allow them to do as they wished.  
“Nope, you aren’t going to scare them, I’m pretty sure even the older one would piss himself,” the smaller retorted once more. “And he’s really pretty so you’d better not scare him away. It’s nice to see someone who’s our age and not talking about how everything is,” they both cringed thinking back to the overheard conversation, “sagging.”  
“It isn’t like he can date you, anyway,” the taller spoke without thinking. “What a sec, what the hell? I thought we were still dating, I mean, I guess we never re-agreed to it but I wanna continue dating you.”  
“You know that I love you, crap, I’ve loved you from since I can remember but he’s hot and you’ve gotta admit it. Don’t ‘cha think so?”   
“Fine, he is pretty good. Hot damn, look at his swoopy hair and ‘is big thighs, oh my god please let him crush my skull.”   
“I’ll let you get away with how horny you got there for him if one, you do the dishes tomorrow and two, we don’t scare anyone in their family.”  
“Alright sounds good with me but ‘anyone’ anyone? Can we just do it once?”  
‘No!”  
\---------  
Within a weeks’ time he had found himself in the embrace of a blooming friendship. The girl with cherry red hair and a boy with a questionable love for snakes had found him lost in the substantial school, deciding to take him in and taking care of him.  
“So, what’cha got in your lunch?” Mey-Rin peered over her lunch box at the two who approached her. She held a plain sandwich in her right hand, the stale white bread held the single slice of meat firm as she placed her knees to her chest.  
“Well,” Oscar started, “it looks like yesterday’s fries but they squashed them, some chunks of meat that could be chicken or turkey, but likely neither, and to top it all off, gravy that looks like cum.”  
Bard nodded, eyebrows furrowing, “Yeah, I’m not sure if I want to eat this one, Mey, so you might wan’ stick to your sandwich this time.”  
“Uh-huh that’s a big no from me, chief. You guys lost me at cum gravy because ya girl love her some thrussy,” carrying on she flashed then an upside down ‘ok’ sign making the two boys groan, both annoyed for not catching the old trick.  
“Moving on, have you been finding your classes alright? Wouldn’t want you to be thirty minutes late again,” Oscar spoke with a smile tilted on his lips, remembering how he had met the new teenager.  
“Ugh, ya I’ve finally been able to find where my family health class is, so Ms. Black’ll stop writing me up,” looking back to his first day he groaned, disappointed at his past self.  
“Oh, oh, oh! How about the demons? Anything new with them?” A burst of excitement came through strawberry scented lips.  
Ever since Bard had told his newfound friends, mustering up the trust to tell them of the strange occurrences in the old manor, they (more specifically, Mey) had been enchanted by the idea of a supernatural presence. The blond had been told by the enamored girl, who had been oh-so-boisterous about it that her years of watching Buzzfeed Unsolved could finally help her. When he had described the noises and helpful actions to her she claimed that it was a demon who was simply being kind to gain their trust before devouring his family in their being- Bard himself found it odd but nonetheless trusted the girl.  
“No, I don’t think so, just being loud like usual,” thinking of the night previous his eyes went wide, “oh wait! The thing tucked Finny into bed last night because my grandma forgot to. That was hella weird, man. And he just went with it! Didn’t freak out or nothin’ just let it pull his blankets up an’ he went to sleep.”  
“Damn that’s pretty metal. Tell your brother he’s a savage for me, ‘k?” Silver hair dye was illuminated under the cheap yellowed lighting of the cafeteria.  
“Psh like he doesn’t tell ‘imslef that all the time,” sea blue eyes rolled, daring to show all white.   
“Do y’all wanna come to my house tonight? After school? Maybe we could check some stuff out ‘round the house to check on the demon.”  
“Sounds good with me but I’ve got work ‘til eight, is that alright?” The other boy tilted his head with big eyes, hoping the answer would be a yes.  
“Uh I think that’ll be okay, my grandparents are all about eating as a family since ma ain’t around a lot so we’ll probably be done by then,” he nodded along to himself before being interrupted by the bell. “See y’all later!”  
\---------  
Dinner seemed to last forever, unlike Baldroy had explained earlier to his acquaintances. Prayers lasted ten minutes as the old couple thought it nice to relive all the love once shared by the boys’ father, despite the blonds attempts to stop it. Then Finnian decided that it was the perfect time to show them the ‘magic tricks’ he had learnt at school, which was just him burping the alphabet and farting for a minute.  
When the hollow mansion creaked with its old bell, Bard jumped out of his chair before hearing a dramatic gasp.  
“Baldroy Williams, were you raised in a barn?” His grandmother spoke as if she would have a heart attack (in which the teenager prayed for nightly), “You need to excuse yourself if you want to leave the table.”  
“Seriously? Fine. Alright.” Taking a smoldering breath as to not lose his shit, he spoke, “Can I be don-”  
“It’s no use now, you can leave but next time you had better remember,” she pointed a pale bony finger to emphasize her point further.   
“But Baaard, you didn’t even finish your broccoli and you know the rules: you can’t leave the table.” His brother spoke in that singsong tone that he knew his brother hated oh-so-much, hoping to see him freak out.  
Instead, the teenager ignored him in favor of running to the kitchen to sloppily throw his dish on the counter and to rush back to the large mahogany doors.  
“Fuck, I’m so sorry guys- my grandparents were just bein’ the old people they are, and my brother was bein’ annoyin’ like usual,” sharp pants escaped Bard’s rounded lips.   
“Oh, it’s fine, honestly we had gotten here late because of freeway traffic so it isn’t like it was too big of a wait,” smiling brightly like usual, both reassuring the boy that it all was fine.  
“Wanna come in?” He asked it so breathlessly that the two barely had heard his words but nodded after making them out. The friends fixed themselves, Mey picking off some lint on her t-shirt and Oscar readjusting the Ouija board held tightly in his arms.  
“Yee-haw,” and with that, they shuffled through the mansion’s shrieking doors and just as everything in the house’s walls, they were kissed with the freckles of time- each room unique to each year it had survived.  
\---------  
“Have you found anything weird in the area so far?” They’d been searching their school laptops for any information on demons, odd behaviors in the area or wikihow tutorials on how to rid of their spirits.  
The red-head and the blond sighed identically in disappointment, “Nope.” The statement was held until Bard decided to limit his search, deciding it would be best to type in his address in the newspapers bar rather than looking up “demon sightings near me’. He was shocked to find that there was an actual article there, seemingly waiting for him to find.  
_Murder in Phantomhive Mansion, Police Files, Insight from Families and More_ , upon seeing the name he desperately slammed his finger on the fragile touchpad. Instantly, he regretted it greeted by the sight of blood sprawled along the same delicately tiled floor he napped on and two bodies left naked, dressed in only a sangria liquid and chalk flakes. They lied limp as dolls faces pressed into the hardened floor never to see the light again. The larger boy was curled into a ball, bare knees pressed to his abdomen and his hands which were also adorned in scarlet, cradled the side of his face that was censored out in the photo. To his right, the house’s original occupant lies on his back, bruises decked his body laying atop one another along with scratches. Bard didn’t have any urge to look further.  
The account stated that the boys had been killed over thirty years ago. When Ciel Phantomhive’s parents left for a date, he had invited his close friend, Sebastian Michaelis, over to study for an upcoming test- one that they would never would be given the chance to take.  
Yet to have been found, it was presumed that the predator was still lurking in the sweetly minute town. Said predator was presumably male, leaving large bruises on the children along with other telling details, so spoke the paper. Killed and supposedly more, the article sugar coated itself only to soon after explain that they had no evidence that could solidify who the murderer had been.  
“Guys,” Bard spoke hoarsely, voice cracking, “I think I found what we’re looking for.” Turning the laptop, he allowed them to read it, faces twisting as they were stabbed with the truth rather than the fantasy of demons they had made up.  
“So,” the silver haired boy uttered, “should we set up the spirit board then?”  



	2. Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group of three arrange the Ouija board in hopes of getting answers but the unseen figures are lost and seemingly have trouble expressing who they are.

Game rules came quite simple: you were in need of another player, there were absolutely no attempts at destroying the board permitted, never leave the planchette on its lonesome, inquiring your death date was disallowed, asking about any God was unacceptable and you were expected to,  _ always, _ say goodbye- of course there had been more but those were the majority of the explained. While they were all uncomplicated and needed little to no work, they managed to override one: to never play in a place where unnatural death occurred.

Anticipating the best way to go about and receive an answer, they placed the board in the old living room that once held the two vulnerable bodies. Connected to the dining room it was the second sitting room in the entire manor, furnished with a large stone fireplace and lavish couches that were draped in a plastic sheet.

Bard would inspect the game and keep watch for anything strange happening in parts of the space, silently praying as to not piss himself. Oscar and Mey would be holding the small game piece in order to answer for what was believed to be the presence.

Introducing themselves, they begun the possibly lethal game. “What is your name?” The silver haired boy questioned, appearing fairly confident in spite of his quivering hands. Waiting an excruciating second for an answer, Mey let out a trembling gasp as her hand felt something unseen settle atop of it.

\---------

When asked to share their names they both looked to one another, “So… you know how we’re supposed to do this?”

“I think-,” rethinking his words, the smaller continued, “I’m not sure, in all honesty I thought you would.”

“Why- What makes you think I’ve used one of  _ those  _ before?” The onyx boy couldn’t help but bellow. He had always been afraid of them as a child, never daring to touch them her opted for watching movies in which foolish children had.

“I don’t know! Your step brother was a satanist or somethin’ wasn’t he? I thought maybe he’d shown you them before,” his defence wasn’t ideal but the boy still had tried.

“Yeah, I mean, he was in a cult or something like that, but I’ve only seen him like three times before.”  Thinking back his prior years he hoped to remember something that could help them. “Hold up, I think we’re supposed to move that little triangle for them to do whatever they ask us.”

“Oh ok that sounds right to me but you’re goin’ first,” still not assured of what he was to do he hoped to learn by the other’s actions.

“Nuh-uh you are. You have a shorter name and it’ll be easier for them to understand,” explaining his order so that the other wouldn’t scold him he worried that the teenagers would give up upon not hearing an answer.

“Why can’t we just  _ tell _ them our name? What if we just showed ourselves to them, at least the one who lives here,” 

“Please, just move the little piece it’ll be super easy,” his stomach churned at the idea of showing himself to anyone, knowing all too well that he was more likely to be feared than his partner.

When he finally realized the boy had ignored his words, pressing his delicate hands on the blond’s own and on the two hand that connected to one another, the taller stepped back.

\---------

“You think it’s broken?” Bard’s voice was hushed as if he were worried about someone overhearing.

“No, it shouldn’t be,” the reply came, “I used it a few weeks ago with my brother so maybe there isn’t any spirits here?”

Drowned in suspense, silence fell, a haunting feeling mixing the air around them just waiting, waiting, and  _ waiting  _ for something to happen- until it did. Emerald eyes flew open staring behind the two boys who stared at the still board, still praying that something would come. The girl attempted to compose herself,  _ there is definitely not a person sitting behind Bard, uh-uh I must have been drugged or somethin’.  _ Stuttering, she tried her best to inform the others, “I, um well y’know…,” nervous laughter was ensured hoping not to sound crazy, “there’s someone in the- someone’s behind you. ‘s probably just your brother or summin’ though.”

He felt a hand before he saw it, and just as expected by all those he had surrounded himself with,  _ he freaked the fuck out. _ “Um I, uh, why- what is it? If y’all are just shitting with me, please know I’m about to cry so just tell me what’s up,” deep breaths continued as no one answered but rather turned to face the body in which the hand had belonged to.

“Sorry if I bothered you, I wasn’t sure how to move the game thingy,” the spirit spoke in a soft tone, worried to scare them away. “ _ Oh!  _ And to answer your guys’ question, my name is Ciel.”

Bard stared at the floor, questioning his actions but full heartedly knowing that no one in his family had any other accent other than their southern drawl, in which the sweet embodied voice was absent of. Believing he was ready to see the figure, he scooted forwards on the cool wooden planks and turned ‘round.

When coming face to face with the being the golden haired boy had an both an uneasy yet exciting thrum through all of his bones wondering if there truly was a life after death, proving us to be never-ending beings on this existential plane. He had always wanted to believe in ghosts as a child but never found it in himself to believe the many stories shared- after all the only death he had come across was his golden retriever, Rosie and even then he had never seen her again. To know that there was a continuous life built a hope in him, a hope that thrived knowing that if he ever did have an  _ accident _ that he would be given a second chance, perhaps at a loss with his internal pain tugging his aorta and all through his organs. A life without pain.  _ An utterly foolish though, wasn’t it?  _

A shy hand reached itself towards Bard, hoping that it would be met with a partner, “Sorry but I never got to ask your name, so _ um-? _ ” a cheeky laugh and he interrupted himself, “Yeah, sorry about that so, what was your name again?”

“No d-don’t be sorry it was- was rude of me to...” awestruck, his small intestine felt as though it was strangling the larger, joy mangling his words. “My name’s Bard, ‘n these two are Mey ‘n Oscar.”

Friends huddled close to one another

Ciel stared at the boy who ogled him as if he was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, something the deceased would contradict strongly. It was his slit throat swell, an almost numbing sensation dancing in his body as he looked up to the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. He was fairly close to the living teenager, therefore able to make out the stunning seagrass eyes that lied behind tired eyelids, not appearing as they had been previous to the figure’s arrival.

“Well then, hiya Bard!”

“Hi, I guess,” Bard stifled a laugh but had yet to hide the goofy grin still plastered to his face.

“S-shut up, at least  _ I’m _ trying,” Ciel squeaked, snapping his neck to the left- an empty corner to the dimly lit antique room.

It had taken the teenagers a moment to process, thinking that the prissy comment had been directed towards them but the truth of the situation had been even odder. Pale eyebrows lifted in a sudden revelation and he turned quickly to his companions,  _ “The other boy,” _ he mouthed as to not make aware to the ghost. Red and blond hair bobbed as the two nodded vigorously, agreeing with their friend’s theory eyes never leaving the slate haired male.

“I didn’t force you to try though, you chose to,” an unmasked voice appeared, echoing against the hideous flowered wallpaper.

“Babe, com-”

Mey burst, unable to hold back her questions that all seemed to eat her brain away, “Who are you?” 

A deathly silence fell before the girl began ranting, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry but I’m so confused right now and honestly I’m so confused and  _ Jesus this is all so crazy.” _

“It’s fine but yes there are two of us- well two ghosts, you know? Like I said earlier my name is Ciel and the  _ stupid-dumb-asshole _ ,” pouted lips hissed, emphasizing his anger with his partner, “is Sebastian.” With that sentence the figure disappeared into nothing, just as he had appeared.

\---------

“ _ Honey, baby, sugar, _ please just come for a minute. They’re super nice, they haven’t asked about  _ me  _ so I doubt they will you and c’mon I’m missing an eye, surely that’s something they haven’t seen before,” small hands reached for larger, rougher ones, still smeared with a variety of substances from  _ that day. _

“ No, no and _ no. _ You at least look normal still, I’m pretty sure I don’t even look human anymore,” the taller huffed, retracting his hand from where it had been grasped.

“Please trust me, they won’t mind and do you see them? They’re absolutely terrified, just like you wanted to earlier.  We scared them- unintentionally yes but still the concept is there. I love you so much so can you please do this one thing for me?”

Sullen eyes curved to where to other stood, “Do you have a bag or summin’ I can cover it up with?”

\---------

When Ciel appeared, he was holding the hand of yet another entity, taller in stature and definitely more heavily built as his abdomen was shown through his faded button down which had been propped up against one shoulder as the rest draped across his hips.

His boyfriend had dejected his idea of the use of a bag so rather, he opted to cover the left of his pale face with a shaky hand and on the same side of his body, his chest which sported quite a large sum of blood. “ ‘m Sebastian.” The idea of being there scared him as much as he hated to admit it. Since death it had always occurred to him that his killer truly had done a number to his body leaving him behind to look like the next contestant of “Face Off”.

“This is his first time ever showing himself to anybody so be mindful of what’s happened to us,” much to his dismay his boyfriend, continued to baby him, warning the newcomers of his unsightly figure.

“Hi, not sure if you heard already but I’m-”

“Bard, yeah I heard. I’m not an idiot I was literally right there,” pointing to the couch five or so feet away from the board, he glared at the boy.

_ “Sebastian shut the fuck up.” _

Ciel now warned  _ him _ to be mindful as if the one previous had truly worked, the three teenager looking as if they’d die if they hadn’t found out what lie beneath his hands. “Sorry, just in a bad mood. So, do you want to see it or what?”

“I- I mean if you’re alright with it I know I would and I’m sure Bard would want to,” words slipped their way off her tongue despite her reading of the room.

Onyx hair fell from the middle of his head as he dropped his hands to the sides, hoping to not look as ugly as he had always felt. Bard’s eyes strayed from his single eye to the open wound that appeared to be the rest of his face, skin torn from his cranium as if it had been driven off and he was able to see the slightest hints of white- skull that had been crushed by a vast weapon driven but driven by who remained unsolved. Turning his eyes about, the blond noticed a gaping hole in his chest and by brushing his fingers to the same spot on his body his eyes went wide in horror.  _ His heart is gone?  _ But it was clearly understood that answers would come soon, it’s only a matter of time.

After a period of stillness a voice choked out, “C’mon guys it isn’t that bad, is it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long y'all! School has been keeping me pretty busy as of lately but I made this chapter longer to (hopefully) make up for it. Anyways, blease send me some asks on tumblr @sugared-starlight bc they make my day!


	3. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bit of shenanigans between the ghosts and Bard, the three set off in hopes of finding a few lost friends that aren’t all too far gone.

Within a short lived ten minutes, Mey-Rin had come to her curfew dragging the silver haired boy along with her despite the immense urge to continue on with the utmost need to continue their conversation. Loose ends remained untied with a thousand questions at the tip of each of their tongues but Bard had sworn that he would keep the pair updated in his continued time with the apparitions.

\---------

Much to the teenager’s disappointment, the ghosts acted no different than he, mind the ‘90s slang that had been under the use of un-ironic circumstances. Most of his time spent with his newfound friends was answering questions the two had about what his generation was like and comparing such to theirs.

“So, you’re telling me that people, _ actual people _ , make Sonic porn?” Sebastian’s look was all that of incredulous. “That bright blue hedgehog video game thing is…God you guys are so fucking weird,” he was in a strong state of disbelief but the cringe that held on Bard’s face proved all he needed.

_ “I know, right?”  _ The teal eyed boy was basically wheezing through his laughter as he saw the disgust in the two’s eyes, continuing to tell them about the stupidest things that had come about the decade. “Oh yeah! And then a few months ago people were snorting condoms and eating tide pods, like, how absolutely  _ wild _ .”

“Well, I  _ guess _ wild is a word for it but I’d say it’s more stupid than interesting,” dark hair swung about as Ciel shook his head in concern. “Do you guys do anything normal at this point?

A button nose scrunched up in distaste, “You sound like my grandma, man. And I mean, while we might not be looked up to I think we stick up most for important shit; lgbt rights, standing up against racism, uh what else…gun rights have become really prominent this past year but, there’s a ton more.

Astonishment crossed their faces as they were informed of the changes they had always hoped for as children were thrown about by the boy, who had previously thought to have proven the generation to be full of idiots. “Bard?”

“Uh-huh?” The cocky boy turned to give the two a smug look.

_ “Why the fucking hell, did you you waste three god forsaken hours telling us about sonic porn and tentacle hentai instead of  _ that _?” _ Hissing through his teeth, the black haired male practically growled at the cute but frustrating boy in front of him.

“Because it was fun.”

“I swear to god, I will personally hang you if you ever try to pull that shit ever again,” Ciel glared at the blond; yet couldn’t help but lighten the look as he realized the dazzling smile placed on his face, an expression that truly spoke he was happy in spite of his pain.

\---------

“Are you awake?” A minute voice rasped towards Bard, who’d been facing the wall inches from his nose.

“Yep,” he croaked out. Within recent months the boy had difficulty sleeping; aching thoughts and memories of warmth flooded his brain making it harder to catch decent rest every day as if he stopped replaying them within every waking moment, they would disappear forever.

“Can we talk or...?” Ciel fiddled with the thick sheets that had been strewn atop him, despite his telling to Bard that they were unneeded.

Sleepily nodding at the question, he balled up his fists to rub tired eyes, grumbling out, “Yeah, sure. What’s up?” and was met with the simple, utterly heart wrenching statement that he related to all too much.

“I…I miss my friends but I don’t think I’ll ever see them again. It’s just, I want to see what they’re doing, how they are and all that, y’know?

Blatant words stung, sounding not too far from the living boy had said aloud to no particular person, hoping that what was left of his family would catch on and go back to the place they belonged. Their  _ true _ home.

“Me too, but,” he breathed out, “you just gotta let go, I guess,” these words had been told to him repeatedly by various family members, as if they hadn’t been lingering in the back of his mind since the life altering message had arrived.

Unbeknownst to the boys who spoke in hushed voices, Sebastian convulsed, jerky movements as he slammed what was left of his cranium to the flattened pillow as he was left to relive the horrors of his last waking day in a heavy silence, masked by the pair who murmured to one another.

Neither took the time to question the beds gentle quakes or the stifled breaths as they discussed the trivialities of lost friends, mourning those in which they’d left behind in death along with those to soon be forgotten after the move.

\---------

Bard held the packet of old homework to his chest, hoping to look as if he knew what he was doing. The three walked about wearily, still trying to find the last of the people from the ghost couple’s list.  
“ _There!_ That’s Agni,” a pale finger threw itself in the direction a butterscotch house nearby, “he _just_ got out of his car.”  
Thrown from his daydream, Bard looked around in all directions, seeing at least three others who too had left their cars. “What does he look like? I don’t know which direction to go, Bastian.”  
The taller boy lent down to tenderly grasp the blond’s chin, turning it to the flaxen structure, “See? He’s got white hair that’s tied up and he’s carrying some groceries.”  
It had taken the boy a second of allowing his eyes to readjust before letting out a soft “Oh, ok” and slowly making his way to the man. Deciding it would be unnatural to approach the male while he was walking, Bard decided to rearrange his stack of papers as he made it inside the house.  
“Hi, I’m Bard!” faking enthusiasm once more, the teenager brought out an emptied packet from his fundraiser in third grade. “I go to Auburn High School an’ we’re doing this fundraiser thing so I was wondering if you’d like to check it out.”  
The caramel skinned man tilted his head, furrowing his eyebrows before smiling, “Oh of course! here come in and I’ll get you something to drink.”  
“Oh- uh,” looking to his left and right for advice from his partners, they responded with nothing, still looking to the old friend, “sure, I guess.” He understood their silence, Agni was a breathtaking sight. Snowy locks contrasted the smooth tan skin they rest on, soft lips bumped together in a warm smile, cheeks settled in their natural roseate. The man’s hair, Bard had presumed, would fall to the curve of his back-if not tied into its current bun atop his crown.  
Stepping back, Agni curved his gentle hand in a welcoming gesture, “I’m sorry if it’s a little messy, I just got home.”  
“Oh don’t worry about it; my house is never clean, and anyways, I can’t even tell if anything is out of place here,” glancing around the span of the house, he was lead into the kitchen, the cool marble tiles stinging to flats of his feet.

“Look at him! He’s so fucking tall, what even,” Sebastian laughed, knowing that his friend had always been larger than he through their time spent together. “Still lookin’ damn fine though.”

Ciel laughed and lightly punched his partner in the bicep, “Oh shut up, you act like you completely forgot that he was the prettiest guy in school. We haven’t been dead  _ that _ long.”

“I mean, he’s gotta be in his early forties now so I think he looks pretty good,” the blond who sat awkwardly on the edge of the couch blurted, failing to be quiet as he should have been given their situation. Lips pressing into a thin line, his head perked up when Agni returned with a tray of pseudo gold that held a teapot along with two dainty cups upon their respective trays and began serving them.

The tanned man didn’t take longer than five minutes to recognize that there was something unusual about the young boy’s presence-it was though there were more than him inside the room, a suffocating feeling that had blocked all movements.

“So...what school did you say you went to again?” Words rolled off his tongue, a knowing twist intertwined in each syllable. Pushing against the dirtied rim of the tea cup, Agni took a low sip from the over beverage in his hand, green eyes cutting at the one who sat across from him.

Bard’s hands were shaking, afraid that he had been found out and that this man could possibly be dangerous, a threat of some sort. “Sorry, I  _ um _ -,” he choked through a fake laugh, “I thought I told you, I go to Auburn High-”

“Babe, I’m home!”

Yet another interruption had occurred, this time a man with thick coffee-tinted hair that matched his honeyed skin called from the doorway that none managed to recognized had opened. Pointing to the small blonde that slouched forwards on the couch, his face screwed up, “Who’s he?”

“Oh, um, I-”

“He’s from the high school that we went to,” Agni interrupted the nervous boy, tone never wavering from its joyous state though his eyes spoke entirely different.

The words had Soma reeling, even more confusion and distrust showed in the way his nose scrunched, “‘Nuh-uh,” he countered. “Kiddo’s way to young to have gone there, first of all, and second, that school was knocked down in  _ ‘97 _ -it’s been abandoned for years.”

In an instant, the teenager’s face was devoid of all color, his freckles sticking out now that his skin was a pure white as he refrained himself from punching the ghosts that sat beside him in the face. While he knew it wasn’t entirely their fault, knowing they probably hadn’t been out of his grandparents’ home for years, they should have at least found out about the destruction of the now torn down building. Hands quaking, the boy struggled to keep the small tea cup he held from spilling onto the fine carpet below his feet as he looked for a reasonable excuse only to find that he was only capable of stuttering.

Raising an eyebrow, the man that stood standing crept towards the boy unimpressed and snatched the packet that sat in his lap, bursting out in laughter. Turning to his husband, Soma handed it over, still chuckling, “Did you even check this out? It’s one of those packets from when we were in high school- look! It’s back in ‘92 though, a year before we graduated.”

Cocking his hip, the cocoa haired male set a hand at his waist while waving around the stack of papers, “Alright kid, the gig is up. You gonna explain before we call the cops or...?”

“I-I’m sorry but I swear I wasn’t tryna steal anything or hurt y’all, it’s just...” knowing that saying their friends who’d been murdered three decades ago would make him look crazy, Brad let the words drift off into nothing as he stared guiltily to the golden thread weaved into the carpet.

“It’s just what?” Agni prompted gently yet with a hint of force, not wanting the scare the boy but also in search of an answer. Leaning forward, he took the files from his partner and went to go through them, face paling a few pages in as he read the name printed messily in the corner in the same chicken scratch letting . 

His voice was now a mere whisper of what it had earlier been when he’d greeted the student, now he looked to the same child with furrowed brows and a question flickering on his tongue, “How do you have these?”

“T-they were in my attic, I’m sorry it’s just that…” An explanation died on his tongue as he knew the two would have him sent to a psych ward if he told them that he’d been able to contact their deceased schoolmates through an old summoning game of his friend’s.

Just as the teenager shakily opened his mouth to speak, a disembodied voice did so for him, “Alright, alright just leave the kid alone. He’s gonna piss himself if you keep acting like this is some interrogation.” It’s sound was eerily familiar and had the two older men reeling, heads spinning as they turned to give an shocked glance to their sudden  _ guest. _

It hadn’t taken much longer for the pair to recognize that it wasn’t at all the boy they’d invited in who spoke and gaped at the impossible truth that stood before them. “What the fuck…” Agni swore lowly, a mere breath of a whisper; although cursing was against his regular morals, when seeing the same crushed skull he’d seen in the papers a thousand times, he felt as though it were mandatory given the situation. An utmost gruesome sight held unmoving before them; black hair matted in dried blood that looked as though it was fresh yet it was obvious it couldn’t have been and there were still thick clumps of his inner organs that weighed on the boy’s shoulders as well as the remaining bit of his head.

“Yeeeeaaaahhhh...You’ve missed out on a _ lot _ ,” blue eyes flickered open as he unveiled himself to the still room and lightly held Bard’s hand in his own with the intention of soothing the other who’s pulse had spiked. Twiddling his thumb softly along the side of the blond’s, speaking downwards as he slyly interlocked their hands, “It’s probably best you let us explain.”

After an hour of awkward explanations, the ghosts had finally been able to convince the husbands that it was indeed true and not a cruel prank as well as calm down the younger boy. The five men all spoke of trivial things as they caught up, Ciel sitting firmly at the freckled boy’s side with his head leaning against his shoulder, “Alright so the rundown is basically, Lizzy’s a lawyer who literally refuses to speak to any of us and Sully’s currently a stay at home mom.”

“I thought she had a scholarship?” The onyx haired figure spoke, head tilting in confusion.

Agni closed his eyes and nodded softly, allowing the other to explain. “Oh yeah, she did but ended up leaving her first year in to marry some guy who’d moved into town a few years before the uh,  _ incident. _ Ended up having two kids the first years of their marriage and now they’re on their third-I swear at this point she  _ enjoys  _ getting pregnant.”

Ciel pulled away from his current embrace and pushed a finger to tap at his lip, “Hmm, we were hoping to meet up with her to basically do whatever this was but, without the whole accusation thing.”

“Well, you’d better go later, Sully’s always busy with the kids until at least eight,” Soma laughed out, glad that he and his husband never decided on adopting despite the sweet temptation of chubby cheeks and excited cries-their current bank simply wouldn’t allow it.

“If you really want to see her, we always go over on Friday nights but sometimes things get a little...out of control,” the pale haired man dragged out his words.

The gentle explanation was met with a harsh laugh and had Bard’s head snap in its direction, “Babe, he’s a teenager boy, if he can’t survive drunk thirty year olds then we better start praying for the rest of his high school experience.” Plush lips parted and now spoke directly to the younger boy, “If you’re up for a wild night with some old people then you’re invited, kiddo.”

Laughing, he gave a grin looking to his left, before his right to face the ghostly figures, “Sounds like a plan.”

\---------

Sieglinde let out a yelp as a small hand pulled on onyx locks and struggled to force the hand off. The small girl that tugged on her mother’s hair and held content in the petite arms that held her, not a care in the world as she thrashed about giggling when the woman’s hand pulled her closer as the three year old attempted to knock down the various food products among the walls.

When her daughter came to see Wolfram, she managed to writhe more violently than previous, attempting to run into the arms of her father. A shriek of joy rang out when she’d finally managed to plop down, immediately scurrying to jump at his legs with hopes of being carried “I’ve only been gone for five minutes,” he laughed weakly. Picking the girl up once more and set her on his hip, carrying her along with a gallon of milk back to where his wife stood exhausted in the kitchen. Pressing a chaste kiss against Sieglinde’s cheek, the man dropped the younger to the floor and a heavy chuckle was emitted as she ran about the small space, “Grete? Why don’t you go get your toys, I’m sure your sister would love to play with you.” It wasn’t much of a question, offering up his eldest child of nine years old to play with the younger; though he knew she’d be upset with such a suggestion, the urge to speak with his lover held higher than the child’s momentary happiness.

Once they’d finally been left alone, Wolfram opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a groan from a separate room, both breathing out deeply a smile written on their faces. Within a few steps he was in the woman’s arms and held one another in such a stance for a moment, rocking slight before he pressed dry lips upon her brow to murmur into the flesh there, “How are feeling today?”

She nodded as if it took a great deal of intellect to answer, “ _ Well, _ for starters this baby fucking  _ hates _ me but otherwise, it’s just been crying kiss and sunshine.” The smile on her face was painfully fake as her sarcasm rang from her larynx and plush face screwed up in turn when she saw the other frown at the statement. Stopping him in his tracks, she waved her hands, “Morning sickness is getting worse but I’ll be fine. Isn’t like I’m new to this so it’s not too much of a task now.”

With the new child on the way held a stance of both positive and negative; maternal leave would allow their babysitter a break along with their pay though with all the odd cravings came a large bout of fast food and unnecessary spent money. The golden haired male stared on, nudging his wife’s forearm softly, “You know I can request a day off, maybe next week we take the kids outta school and go to the beach? They’ve got a half day on Friday so they wouldn’t miss much anyways.”

“Sure,” she shrugged and made her way to the fridge in order to pull out the orange juice gallon that'd been left half full. With a smirk thrown over her shoulder, she slyly added on, “But do know that you get to call the school to excuse the absence. After all, this was  _ your _ idea so I think it’s a fair trade for a day out.”

\---------

As a night that resembled any other, containing a bittersweet argument over something that Wolfram disapproved of his pregnant wife doing in fear of the worst happening-as if holding a gallon of milk would shatter her sore back-, dinner that’d been cooked straight from the box and bag it was derived of, then afterwards, bedtime came for the two children who were disappointed with the decision that they couldn’t stay up to watch another episode of their favorite cartoon. “Sweet dreams” and “I love you”s were all passed around as a hug followed by a kiss were presented to the small figures, tucked gently into their small beds in the shared room.

After twenty short lived moments of waiting, the pair of knocks on the door drew a relaxed sigh from the couples’ throats with knowledge that a break would finally be granted from the joyous-yet painstakingly endless-hours of watching over their two beautiful daughters. When the door had finally been opened, Wolfram spoke on as he invited the men inside and questioned the new figure among them but the woman was too caught up staring at the pair that eerily stood behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been six whole months since I started this chapter and here it finally is! I'm hoping to become much mre active when it comes to working on my fics but recently I've been caught up with school as well as moving houses so it probably won't be likely(I promise not to keep y'all waiting six months though). Feedback is always appreciated and I'd love if y'all would send me some asks on tumblr(fr though I don't even care if it's about my fics, I love talking about anything).  
> Feel free to hmu on:  
> Tumblr @missperseph  
> Insta @gelzerwolf (Wolfram rp account)  
> Insta @that.clumsy.chef (Bard rp account)

**Author's Note:**

> My first multi-chapter fic! I'll hopefully be updating twice a week so that it will be done by Halloween but I'm still not sure.  
> Anyways, I had Snake go by Oscar in this bc I couldn't find an actual name and saying Snake just sounded kinda weird??
> 
> Thank y'all so much for reading! I rewrote my draft over three times so if it sounds weird in areas, I'm sorry!


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